“A Joy That’s Shared Is A Joy Made Double”
Sharing and caring for others come from your heart and not everyone possesses that. You need to have a lot of courage and strength to be giving in such a way that you can help mankind. To set an example for the others is not easy, but not impossible too. From this very positive note the “Share A Meal” concept was born.
It’s a privilege for The Uncommon Box (which equally believes that sharing is caring for others) to highlight the good work of such inspiring people who have taken the initiative of providing wholesome, home – cooked meals to the needy and under privileged, prepared with love by the good people of Bangalore in their homes every fourth Saturday of the month.
How it all started
Initially the idea commenced with just a handful of people and they had their first drive in the month of December 2015. Then as the word spread and people were aware of it, they got an overwhelming response.
“Within a span of just 6 months theyhad shared more than 6000 food boxes to those in need with the highest of 3367 boxes earmarking ‘World Hunger Day’ on 28th May 2016.
Today they have around 3000 meal donors, 120+ volunteers and 30+ collection centres across Bangalore. We hope for such sustained enthusiasm of like minded people and are very positive that this little cause of theirs will continue to grow.”
A smile is that light in your face which can turn down any painful situations we come across, and ‘Share A Meal’ has made this possible with their humble efforts. They have not only satisfied the hunger of underprivileged people but also have brought smiles to their faces.
It is said charity begins at home, and through their initiative we hope to make good on this time-tested saying. Their emphasis is on nutritious, home – cooked meals. They want people to share the same taste and health that we relish so much with those much less fortunate.
They believe, “Nowadays, there are a lot of organizations dedicated to fighting hunger in unconventional manners, like tying up with restaurants for leftover food, roti banks, etc. Share A Meal is different in that by involving each one of us that are a part of it,
“It involves the personal element.”
When money is involved, even with the right intentions, it becomes less transparent.
“We want to transcend that and show that you don’t have to be rich to be able to do something nice for someone who is in need. Anyone can, you only have to will it!”
We understand that in the fast-paced world that we live in, time is hard to find even for one’s own self. But we are not asking people to leave their jobs and studies aside and devote themselves full time to this initiative. In fact, most of our team comprises individuals who are either students or full time working professionals.
“All we ask of people is to lend one Saturday morning in a month to this initiative.”
While the need to eradicate hunger is strong, we don’t want the needy to be dependent on us as their food source.
“We only wish to help them find their strength back so they can be able members of society again. That is why we conduct this drive just once a month, on the Saturday of each month as that’s when most people are free.”
Certain key facts about them
- Started in December 2015 with a handful of people
- Emphasis is on home cooked meals
- First event planned and executed within 10 days
- We advertised mostly through word of mouth using WhatsApp/Facebook to circulate messages to our relatives and friends and also went door to door in the neighbourhood
- In the first month, we shared 270 meals at the Ragigudda slum in J.P. Nagar
- Covered around 20 slums across the city
- Total meals shared – 26596 (exact number)
- Highest number of meals shared – 3367 meals, earmarking ‘World Hunger Day’ on 28th May 2016
- Meal Donors – 3000+
- Volunteers – 120+
- Collection Centres – 30+
What a soul-stirring story this has been of a bunch of responsible human beings dedicating themselves to humanity and making the lives of the under-privileged better and happier in every possible way. We the youngsters need to learn from, follow and support this uncommon example.
In case you have any query regarding the event details, you can either write into them at:
– Website – http://www.ishareameal.com/
– Registration Form – https://shareameal.typeform.com/to/JMqMCA
-Email – shareamealbangalore@gmail.com
Or
Call them at- +91 9900040065 /+91 9880086572.
You can also connect with them at various social networking sites:
– Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/shareamealbangalore/
– Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/shareamealbangalore/
Content for this write up was developed by Meghna Bhattacharya, our C3 collaborator.
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